December 5th

Jetty & Beach / Near-shore (Surf, Jetties, Passes)

 

Good species right now

    •    Redfish often around jetties, shallow flats, passes, or along beach troughs.  

    •    Sheepshead jetties, pilings, rock structures and oyster beds concentrate them. Winter months (now) are prime time for them.  

    •    Flounder near sandy edges, troughs or cuts along the beach or near passes.  

    •    Whiting surf and near-shore sandbars, especially good for casual surf fishing.  

    •    Possibly some smaller schooling fish (bait-fish eaters) and occasionally Spanish-type mackerel in near-shore structure (less common but still show).  

 

How it’s fishing

    •    Jetty, pass, and structure-based fishing hooking live or cut bait at pilings, rock, oyster beds is producing solid catches, especially sheepshead and redfish.

    •    Surf or beach side: whiting and occasional reds or flounder on sandbars and troughs are doable; just watch tides and bait presentation.

    •    Water has cooled, so fish are tighter to structure or sandy-bottom edges you may not see big surface schools, but bottom/structure rigs pay off.

 

Best bait / setup

    •    Shrimp, fiddlers, sand fleas or cut fish around oyster beds/rock for sheepshead.

    •    Cut mullet, shrimp or sand-fleas on bottom rigs for flounder or redfish.

    •    For whiting/ lighter surf species: light rigs with shrimp or small bait, sand-fleas on sandy bottoms.

 

Where to go

    •    East Pass Jetties top jetty spot in Destin. Strong mix of redfish, sheepshead, flounder, trout (if tide and bait cooperate).  

    •    Shore-side sandy flats and troughs near the pass/beach, especially around tidal cuts or lower-light times.

 

Inshore / Bay & Flats (Estuary, Sound, Bay, Flats)

 

Strong species mix still in play

    •    Redfish common in bay, marsh flats, transitions, and estuary grass/ oyster/ structure zones year-round.  

    •    Speckled Trout especially in back-bay, flats + deeper grass/edge zones; good in cooler months too when bait is available.  

    •    Flounder on sand or transition zones inside the bay or near passes.  

    •    Sheepshead & Black Drum if you locate structure (pilings, oyster bars, docks, submerged structure) inside bay or near passes.  

 

How the bite is right now

    •    Bay and flats fishing remain reliable even as temps drop. The calmer, protected water keeps fish holding.  

    •    Mixed “slam” vibes remain possible you could hit a day and come up with several species (trout, red, flounder) in one trip.  

    •    Structure/foundation-based fishing inside bay is productive: pilings, oyster beds, grass edges, channels are prime for bottom/contact-oriented species.

 

Recommended tactics

    •    Live shrimp or small soft plastics on grass-edge or channel drop-offs for trout and redfish.

    •    Bounce cut bait or shrimp near oyster beds, pilings, deeper structure for sheepshead or drum.

    •    Slow jigs or bottom rigs along sand/grass breaklines near passes for flounder.

 

Where to fish

    •    Marsh flats, oyster bars, grass-edge transition zones inside bay or sound.

    •    Pass entrances and deeper channels that connect to the Gulf.

    •    Structural spots docks, pilings, old foundation, grass/sand transitions.

 

Offshore / Reef & Deep-Water (Gulf, Reefs, Wrecks)

 

What’s still doable offshore this season

    •    Vermilion Snapper common bottom-fish around reefs and rock/sandy bottoms this time of year.  

    •    Amberjack deeper reefs and wrecks offshore will hold these as water cools down.  

    •    Various Grouper / Snapper / Reef-associated species breakdown fishing off wrecks, ledges, reefs gives options when snapper season is open or within regs.  

    •    Near-shore pelagic or “surface-roamers” like Bonita if there’s bait and the water isn’t too cold, you’ll still run into schools occasionally.  

 

How offshore fishing is shaping up

    •    Bottom fishing is your best bet: vermilions, amberjacks, assorted reef fish plenty of structure out there still producing.

    •    Pelagic or trolling-based fishing (for bonito/tuna) is hit-or-miss as water cools; several charters still report episodic bonito sightings.  

    •    Don’t expect the heatmaps of summer; you’ll need to focus on structure, be ready to bust out bottom rigs, and take the day slow and strategic.

 

Best gear and approach offshore

    •    Bottom-rigs with cut bait, squid or shrimp over reefs/sand/rock shelves for snapper, reef fish, amberjack.

    •    Chum/bait or live-bait plus heavier tackle if you’re pushing deeper reef zones for amberjack or bigger reef dwellers.

    •    Light trolling or jigging for schooling pelagics if you find bait balls or birds working.

 

Where to go

    •    Offshore reefs, wrecks, ledges in Gulf bottom zones reachable by charter or boat ride.

    •    Near-reef drop-offs, structure lines, and known rock or sand/rock transitions.

    •    If tide/water conditions show bait close to surface run the surface or near-surface lines for bonito or opportunistic pelagic catches.